Grandpa explained to Yu Zhining, “He died of an illness. But the reason his health was so poor was because of arrangements I made.”
Huo Mian, standing nearby, began to cry even harder.
She felt even more strongly that the Yu family had let her and her mother down.
The Yu family had wronged my father. What right do you have to ignore us?
Yu Zhining asked, “What exactly happened?”
Grandpa said, “Back then, I was trying to develop our overseas business, so I sent him to a country with a very complicated situation. There happened to be an epidemic there at the time. He contracted the illness, and his kidneys never recovered. No treatment could cure him.”
The more Grandpa spoke, the more pained he became. “The most important reason I was able to become Pucheng’s richest man was that business deal.”
“Later, he said he wanted to cut ties with the Yu family, so I helped him establish his own business. We separated professionally, but the bond between us remained.”
“So even if you and Mianmian were never meant to be husband and wife, please take our old classmate and friendship into consideration and look after her a little more for Grandpa. Can you do that?”
Yu Zhining remained silent for a long time before quietly replying, “I understand, Grandpa.”
He hung up.
The corridor fell silent again.
With tears in her eyes, Huo Mian looked at him. “I wasn’t lying to you, was I?”
Yu Zhining said nothing.
Grandpa had always treated the subordinates who had built his empire alongside him from nothing very well. Whenever one of their families ran into trouble, he would offer them money and assistance.
But most people only needed someone to lend them a hand during a difficult period. Once they got back on their feet, they worked hard on their own. It was impossible for them to rely on help forever.
The reason Huo Mian had continued to depend on other people’s help was that she still hadn’t found anything else to support her spirit—such as a career.
He lowered his voice and said, “I’ll think of something…”
He would think of a way to help her find a job.
At those words, alarm bells immediately began ringing in Huo Mian’s mind.
Think of something? Was he planning to arrange for her to go somewhere else?
Was he trying to sever ties with the Huo family and shake her off?
The dark thoughts in Huo Mian’s heart grew stronger and stronger.
A-Ning, I won’t let you shake me off…
-
Yu Xiaxing and Yu Zheng had already reached the entrance to the Life Corridor.
Looking at the admission code on his phone, Yu Zheng asked Yu Xiaxing, “I heard that people see their memories flashing before their eyes when they’re about to die. This facility supposedly lets people experience that while they’re still alive… Is it really that strange?”
Yu Xiaxing understood what he meant. “We’re already here, so let’s give it a try!”
“Okay. Let’s find Professor Zhong and get his signature first. Then we can try it.”
“Okay.”
The two of them scanned their codes and entered.
Beyond the main entrance was a corridor lined with many rooms on both sides.
Each door displayed a different number, along with an indication of whether the room was occupied.
Yu Xiaxing casually twisted the handle of a door marked “In Use.”
It didn’t open. An electronic screen immediately displayed:
This Life Corridor room is currently occupied. Please choose an available room.
So even though she knew Professor Zhong was somewhere inside, she couldn’t simply open the doors and find him.
They had no choice but to try the experience themselves and look for Professor Zhong afterward.
Yu Xiaxing casually opened an unoccupied room, and Yu Zheng tried to follow her inside.
The room suddenly went dark, and another notice appeared on the electronic screen above the door:
Only one person may enter each Life Corridor room.
Yu Xiaxing waved her phone at Yu Zheng. “It’s fine. We’ll go in separately. If anything feels wrong, call each other immediately.”
Yu Zheng memorized the number of his sister’s room and nodded. “All right.”
-
Yu Xiaxing chose a room at random and stepped inside.
The door automatically closed behind her.
At the entrance sat a wooden box with a notice on it:
Please place your phone here. Temporarily set aside the outside world and return to yourself.
Of course, Yu Xiaxing didn’t hand over her phone. She simply continued farther inside.
She glanced around. The room wasn’t large. The floor was covered with a soft, light-colored carpet, and the curved walls made it resemble a capsule.
A wide recliner stood in the center of the room.
As soon as she sat down, soothing music began playing automatically. A fragrance diffuser in the corner also started releasing its scent, creating an atmosphere designed to help people relax.
The advertisements had mentioned that the facility was meant to induce hypnosis and awaken forgotten memories, so it made sense that they would include devices to help visitors relax.
Suddenly, an electronic voice sounded in the room.
“Dear guest, would you like to communicate through text or voice? Please answer.”
It was probably designed with elderly visitors in mind, especially those with poor eyesight or who couldn’t read. It really was quite considerate.
Yu Xiaxing answered, “Text.”
A moment later, an electronic screen extended automatically from beside the chair. A series of words appeared on it:
Welcome to the Life Corridor. For the rest of your time here, please put your mind at ease.
There is no judgment here. You only need to face yourself honestly.
To protect your privacy, there are no recording or surveillance devices in this room. Our only purpose is to help you awaken memories you have long forgotten.
Next, please put on the sensory headset. The system will awaken your deeply buried memories based on your answers.
Beside the chair lay a white, wraparound headset fitted with electrode pads.
The hypnotic effect of the room was genuinely impressive. Even as a young person, Yu Xiaxing had only been sitting there for a short while before she began to feel drowsy.
The effect would be even stronger on elderly people with unstable blood pressure and low energy.
She put on the headset.
Now, please complete your life questionnaire.
Please do not put on an act or deceive yourself. Only honest answers can awaken your deeply buried memories.
The screen began displaying several different sets of questions, asking her to choose one.
Yu Xiaxing selected one at random.
Do you have any brothers or sisters? Do you have a good relationship? Among your memories involving your siblings, what is your happiest, sweetest memory? What is the most painful experience?
When your family faces an important decision, do they discuss it with you? Do you remember the first time you participated in a family decision?
Have you ever seen a family member feeling vulnerable, crying, or particularly happy? What was happening at the time?
Does your family have an old object that has been passed down through several generations? How do you feel about it?
…
After looking through the questions, Yu Xiaxing had already figured out how the Life Corridor worked.
It used these questions as prompts, guiding visitors to actively recall their past.
Even if they couldn’t remember many of the details, their memories would still be searched through in advance.
Then, once they entered a sleeping state, the headset would release pulsed electrical currents through the electrode pads to stimulate activity in the frontal and temporal regions of the brain. This would activate the memory network and allow them to recall many memories they had forgotten.
The effect would be especially strong for memories that had just been retrieved.
Moreover, this machine-induced hypnosis was more effective than seeing a psychologist.
People instinctively concealed anything unfavorable to themselves. When speaking to a psychologist, they would inevitably beautify their own version of events.
It was always: I did nothing wrong. Everyone else was to blame.
Facing a machine eliminated some of those concerns and allowed people to view their memories more objectively.
She actually wanted to experience it properly, so she began answering the questions in earnest.
Question One: I have siblings! Our relationship is terrible! Once, for reasons I can’t remember, we got into a group fight. We fought viciously, with everyone attacking the others as if they meant to kill them. By the time the adults came back, they found a pile of children lying unconscious on the ground!
I was the youngest. I wasn’t as strong as the others, and I was beaten unconscious for three days before I woke up!
When we grew up and began competing over the family businesses, none of us held back. We became mortal enemies, as if we wanted each other dead!
Question Two: …
For every question that followed, she did her best to recall the past and fill in the most truthful answers she could.
Soon, she finished the questionnaire.
A circle appeared in the center of the screen.
[We are now awakening your forgotten memories.]
[Please close your eyes and relax. We will guide you through your life shortly.]
Afraid she might sleep for too long, Yu Xiaxing took out her phone and set a twenty-minute alarm.
Then she slipped the phone back into her pocket and leaned against the chair again.
As she watched the rings ripple across the screen, she soon drifted into a dream, and memories sealed away for so long were awakened…
